Senate Votes to Replace FEMA With a New Federal Agency

[DoYouEverWonder]

July 12, 2006

The Senate voted 87 to 11 Tuesday night to create a new federal entity to replace the much-criticized Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The Senate’s action came in the form of an amendment to the domestic security budget bill. The new agency, called the Emergency Management Authority, would remain in the Homeland Security Department into which FEMA, which once had cabinet status, was merged in 2003. But in times of major disasters, the new agency would report directly to the president.

The Senate also voted on Tuesday to amend the proposed $32.8 billion domestic security spending bill by adding another $648 million for port security to pay for more equipment and personnel to inspect ship containers, and an extra $350 million for border security to buy aircraft and vehicles to help border patrol agents and to enhance border fences.

Final passage of the bill by Congress is far from assured. The House is still considering legislation proposed by Representative Don Young, Republican of Alaska, that would keep FEMA but move it outside the Homeland Security Department, returning it to the more prominent, stand-alone status it had during the Clinton administration.

Senators Susan Collins, Republican of Maine, and Joseph I. Lieberman, Democrat of Connecticut, who co-sponsored the legislation to change the agency, said the agency’s performance after Hurricane Katrina last year was such a national embarrassment that the federal government had no option but to abolish it and replace it with an agency that had new powers and a new name.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/12/washington/12fema.html?_r=1&oref=login

In the meantime, another hurricane season is upon us and nothing has changed. Someone needs to tell Lieberman and Collins that wasting money on new stationary isn't going to solve the problem.

[rubberducky]

1. Sure do wonder

Where all those folks from FEMA would end up working??

[w4rma]

2. Don Young has the right idea. Lieberman, as usual, gets it wrong. (nt)

[Vidar]

23. Have to agree with that.

[Greeby]

3. For the sake of fairness

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=2&vote=00193

Senator Clinton introduced an amendment to make FEMA independent once again, but it got shot down

[DoYouEverWonder]

4. Of course, the one thing that makes any sense

gets shot down.

[Minnesota Libra]

6. That is what would have restored FEMA to a working.............

.....capable department again. Then restore FEMA's separate funding and go tap Clinton's FEMA director. Problem cured.

Of course we can't expect neocons to see the wisdom in anything liberals did, let's face it liberals aren't hell bent on destroying anything and everything that works for the average person.:grr:

[Sherman A1]

5. Great Idea

We change the stationary and flow charts, then everything is better and it all magically works? Without real leadership (the kind that the Bush/Cheney team are impossible of providing) it makes no difference what version of alphabet soup we have.

[GeorgeGist]

7. Change the Name...

presto, magico all is well again.

[Ghost Dog]

17. Change the name, and abolish civil liability for prior fiascos.

Different label == different 'organisation'. Different insurance policy. Not legally responsible for mistakes (or worse) the 'organisation' working (or not, as the case may be) under the previous label made...

[ProgressiveEconomist]

31. "Heckuva job", Lieberman!

[liberal N proud]

8. bu$h was an embarrassment during Katrina, can we abolish him too?

[Donna Zen]

9. Thing one or thing two?

1) Will this agency which is exactly like the old agency (part of a non-functioning bureaucracy HS) assure the public until the next time they're needed, and fails?

Or

2) Will the new-found powers result in another way to spy on us?

Joe and Susan need to run away together...please! I don't want to see it, but honestly between that pompous ass and the dummy, we don't stand a chance.

Oh wait! Joe takes credit for Homeland Security too.

I'm suggesting a fundraiser for Lamont starting this instant.

[DoYouEverWonder]

10. They remind me of

Dumb and Dumber. What a pair.

Notice neither one lives in a hurricane zone, so why should they give a shit?

[ticapnews]

18. They live in an Ice Storm zone...

In 1998 we were blanketed with several inches of ice and the entire region (and up into Canada) was essentially crippled for two weeks. There was no electricity, transportation was next to impossible with the roads covered in ice and downed trees/power lines and a number of people died from the cold. It was an event with no precedent, but with federal, state and local officials working together - and a LOT of help from line workers from out of the region - we made it through and got back on our feet. What you didn't hear was President Clinton saying, "No one could have anticipated every power pole in New England would snap like a toothpick."

Saying that Susie and Joe don't care about FEMA because they aren't from a hurricane zone is foolish. We all need FEMA - a fully functioning and competent FEMA - because we all deal with emergencies: floods, tornadoes, wildfires, landslides, earthquakes and hurricanes.

Unfortunately, Susie and Joe have proven themselves completely incompetent in their "oversight" of DHS, including FEMA. Their apparent dislike of FEMA has more to do with ideological reasons than climatological.

[Donna Zen]

21. Hurricanes

Oh please...never let turkeys stand out in the rain.

[htuttle]

11. From FEMA to EMA

Sure glad that dropped that 'F'. FEMA's problems were all the 'F's fault! It was nothing but trouble!

[Bridget Burke]

12. Wonder how many millions the new stationery & signage will cost?

FEMA worked fine as a separate agency under Clinton.

[BeFree]

13. Like Clinton says:

The republicans don't believe government can work, and they're out to prove it.

[DoYouEverWonder]

16. People who hate government

shouldn't be allowed to be in charge of the government.

[htuttle]

15. Seems to me that they could just use a little White-Out to change it

Just erase the F's.



:shrug:

[geomon666]

27. So true. At least everything will be better now.

[Tellurian]

14. One mistake already, FEMA should report to Congress, NOT BUSH!

Bush should not be supreme in the decision making process. The public has a right to know.
After all, FEMA is the agency by which Bush would declare Marshall Law if a Republican fails
the theft of the election process in 08'

[hughee99]

19. Actually, I have to disagree on this...

if FEMA (or EMA) has to take it's marching orders from congress, it may take a long time to get anything done. After all, they're not just going to drop a flag burning ammendment or stop "defending marriage" just to handle a disaster.

[Tellurian]

20. FEMA doesn't need marching orders from Congress. The President

does that...We're talking about "reporting their progress"
and producing timely status updates for Congressional oversight.

[hughee99]

26. I must have misunderstood your comments

"One mistake already, FEMA should report to Congress, NOT BUSH! Bush should not be supreme in the decision making process".

I took this to mean that you were suggesting that Congress, and not * should be "supreme in the decision making process", and not merely an oversight organization.

[Tellurian]

28. Here is the line in the original quote that spurred my comment...

"But in times of major disasters, the new agency would report directly to the president.

Just what we don't NEED is Bush classifying or sanitizing more information through another agency.

WE WANT THE TRUTH!

[leesa]

22. This will be a massive waste of money...the Republican specialty.

[Sadie5]

24. massive waste of money

Yes, by changing the name and the rules it will allow them to dig their grimy fingers deeper into the pot and steal even more taxpayer money. They think it will go away if they change the name but too many remember what really happened. Under Clinton FEMA worked, but due to gross mismanagement nothing under the direction of Bush and this Congress will work.

[newspeak]

25. Gee, the old agency was just fine

until they ruined it!!!!!:eyes:

[Earth_First]

29. Meet the new bureaucracy. Same as the old bureaucracy. n/t

[MODemocrat]

30. Same old bungling, just a new name

What difference will it make to dissolve FEMA, then spend more millions to set another one up? The same people, that is, Bush's friends will be in charge of it too. Boy, it never stops; the taxpayers are having to pick up the tab for all this "switcheroo" baloney. What will this one be named?

In my opinion, FEMA was working well until Bush took over. The FEMA is vital to this country, and if it was handled properly as it had been in the past, it would still be a good program.
The only good part that I see, will be to remove it out from under Homeland Security Department.They already had too much power. :shrug:

[struggle4progress]

32. So if it turned out the President's performance around Katrina were ..

.. a national embarrassment, we'd get to change his name too?

[truthisfreedom]

33. if you put a "f***ing" in front if it, it's still FEMA.

[symbolman]

34. Hmmm..

Doin' a Heckava Job there, Congressie..

We need a new chapter in the History of our country- and it needs to begin with this "It was the best of times - it was the worst of times.."